NH Farm Museum pays tribute to its roots

Monday

Aug 25, 2014 at 3:15 AM

By Angelica M. Perrynews@fosters.com

MILTON — New Hampshire's Farm Museum hosted its Old Time Farm and Tavern days this weekend, an event open to the public that is dedicated to educating people on New Hampshire's rich agricultural history.

“Prior to 1900, about 90 percent of New Hampshire residents lived on a farm,” says Kathleen Shea, Director of the Farm Museum. “For more than 50 years, this farm was a tavern and a stagecoach shop. From about 1810-1860 this was a tavern. The Dover-Rochester-Wakefield stagecoach would come up on its way to Conway. Mr. Levi Jones, who had married into this family, ran the tavern along with his wife and many helpers.”

As fall approaches, more harvest-related events will be held at the museum as well, inviting folks to come and enjoy more history in an interactive manner.

“Our mission is to preserve New Hampshire's rural agricultural traditions. We try to make sure everyone learns about farming and rural life, and that they essentially discover their roots. If your family has been here for the past century, chances are they lived on and operated a farm. So it's good to get back to that, and to showcase where we come from,” adds Shea.

Volunteers helped out, during the weekend, by holding the demonstrations and leading tours of the tavern.

“I portray Lydia Jones, the sister of the tavern owner,” says Carolyn Chase after leading a tour group through the tavern's many rooms. “I get to show what tavern keepers did on a day-to day basis, everything from making the meals, to candle making, to helping heal common minor ailments that travelers passing through may experience.”

Among a horse drawn wagon ride, several demonstrations were going on. Parents and children could participate in basket weaving, watch the New Hampshire Spinners and Dyers, and observe wood carving, grain harvest flail and winnowing, blacksmithing, and musket firing.

“When I'm not volunteering here, I'm the chairman of the Board of Selectman in Middleton,” explains Jon Hotchkiss, volunteer at the Farm Museum. “I started out teaching in New Hampshire and moved to New York, but I wanted to retire back here. I heard that they needed volunteers here mowing grass and cutting the brush. At the same time I was doing Revolutionary War reenactments in New York, so I started doing them up here as well. My wife comes with me, and together we teach kids and others about the history.”

“The purpose of doing this is to keep history alive for young children”, adds his wife Janet Hotchkiss. “I started doing the reenactments as a 'camp follower'. We can talk the talk by being in a classroom, but when you're out in the field, you're walking the walk and people have the chance to ask you those questions. It's a great way to tap into kid's questions and creativity, and it made us better teachers in the classroom. You learn by doing, and these experiences really stick with them. ”

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